Microscopical Essays, 



The scales of fish fhould be foaked in water for a few- 

 days, and then be carefully rubbed, to clean them from the (kin 

 and dirt which may adhere to them. 



To procure the fcales of the eel, which are a great curiofity, 

 and the more fo as the eel was not known to have any till they 

 were difcovered by the microfcope. Take a piece of the fkin 

 of the eel that grows on the fide, and while it is moid fpread it 

 on a piece of glafs, that it may dry very fmooth ; when thus 

 dried, the furface will appear all over dimpled or pitted by the 

 fcales, which lie under a fort of cuticle or thin fkin ; this fkin 

 may be railed with the fharp point of a penknife, together with 

 the fcales which will then eaflly flip out, and thus you may pro- 

 cure as many as you pleafe.* 



On the lizard, the guana, Sec. are two fkins ; one of thefe is 

 very tranfparent, the other is thicker and more opake ; by 

 feparating thefe we procure two beautiful objecls. 



The leaves of many trees, and fome plants, when diue&ed, 

 form a very pleafing objecl:. To diffect them, take a few of the 

 mod perfect leaves you can find, and place them in a pan with 

 clean water ; let them remain three weeks or a month without 

 changing the water ; then take them up, and try if they feel very 

 foft, and appear almofl rotten ; if fo, they are fufficiently foaked* 

 You are then to lay them on a flat board, and holding them by 

 the ftalk, draw the edge of a knife over the upper fide of the 

 leaf, which will take off moft of the fkin; turn the leaf, and do 



T the 



* Martin's Micrograph! a Nova ; p. 29. 



